Hungarian Goulash is a delicious beef stew (or soup) with a rich paprika broth. It is warm and comforting, perfect for a cold day.
Serve this over homemade noodles (or add potatoes) or with a side of bread or Biscuits to sop up any of the broth left in your bowl.
What Is Hungarian Goulash?
Hungarian Goulash is very different from an American Goulash Recipe which is a tomato, beef and macaroni dish (and also sometimes known as American Chop Suey).
Hungarian goulash (gulyás) dates back centuries and was originally made by shepherds drying out meat to store, which they would then add water to create a soup. Goulash is seasoned with paprika and other fragrant spices like caraway seeds. You will almost always find red meat in a Hungarian goulash, and because it is simmered at a lower temperature for a longer amount of time, it is the perfect way to turn a cheaper cut of meat into a tender and delicious meal.
A Cozy Cool Weather Soup
Hungarian Goulash is a staple in our family and could not be more comforting as the weather turns chilly! Traditional Hungarian Goulash is a soup or stew filled with tender chunks of meat and onions and heavily spiced with paprika.
Many families have their own variations of this dish, adding different vegetables like potatoes, carrots, onions, celery, bell peppers, and tomatoes. Some Hungarian Goulash recipes are made without veggies other than onions, and some serve them on the side. Regardless, it’s pure comfort food.
In this version, tender chunks of beef, onions, and tomatoes are simmered until tender in a savory paprika beef broth. YUM!
What is Hungarian Paprika
Paprika is made from grinding dried peppers. Peppers can range from hot to mild, so paprika will vary from region to region. In many American cooking, like deviled eggs, paprika is mainly used as a garnish.
In Hungarian cooking, paprika is usually used to flavor the dish instead of a garnish. Some paprika is smoked, some may be sweet, some may be mild, and some may have a stronger flavor. In Hungarian cooking, usually a mild to sweet paprika is used.
How To Make Goulash
To make Hungarian goulash, you’ll need onions, beef, and plenty of Hungarian Paprika.
In a Dutch oven or soup pot, fry the onions in butter until they are translucent. Add beef to the pan and sear it on all sides. Next, deglaze the pan by slowly adding the beef broth to it. Once deglazed, add the tomatoes and broth and season to taste.
Bring the Hungarian goulash to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover it, and simmer it for about an hour and a half (this is where it starts to smell amazing).
While I most often simmer this on the stove, you can also make this easy Hungarian Goulash in the oven. A house filled with the aromas of this stew is probably the most comforting way to say goodbye to my patio until next summer!
Serving Suggestions
Serve the goulash on its own or over spaetzle, elbow macaroni, egg noodles, or Mashed Potatoes! Top it with a dollop of sour cream. I love a side of bread or 30 Minute Dinner Rolls to sop up any leftover gravy.
Hungarian goulash freezes perfectly, making it ideal to make in batches for the winter. I love quickly warming up a single serving of this goulash recipe for a quick lunch or dinner!
More Soups You’ll Love
- Stuffed Pepper Soup – So flavorful.
- Slow Cooker Chicken Pot Pie Soup
- Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup – Comfort food in 15 minutes!
- Beef Barley Soup
- Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup
- Minestrone Soup – Classic!
Hungarian Goulash
Ingredients
- 2 medium yellow onions diced
- 2 teaspoons salted butter or lard, preferred
- 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
- 2 tablespoons paprika
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ pounds stewing beef trimmed and cut into 1" cubes, or chuck
- 2 cups beef broth or water
- 1 cup canned diced tomatoes drained
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Optional
- 1 ½ cup diced carrots optional
- 3 cups diced potatoes optional
- chopped fresh parsley and sour cream for serving, optional
Instructions
- In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in caraway seeds and paprika.
- In a bowl, dredge the beef with flour and shake off any excess. Add the beef to the onion mixture and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Slowly add ¼ cup of beef broth while scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the remaining broth, diced tomatoes, and potatoes and carrots if using. Season with salt and black pepper.
- Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a low simmer, cover, and cook for about 1 ½ -2 hours or until the beef is fork tender.
- Garnish with parsley if desired and serve with a dollop of sour cream.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Main Course, Soup
Cuisine Hungary© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
Can this work in a crockpot
Hi Sandy, we haven’t tried this recipe in the slow cooker but I would suggest 8-10 hours on low or 4-6 on high. Let us know how it goes. We do have this delicious crockpot Gulash that you may enjoy too!
10/10 — used butter and a bit of oil instead of lard as my roommates are Muslim, but otherwise I didn’t change a thing. Definitely use a good imported Hungarian sweet paprika — it makes all the difference. Oh, and this is spend with pennies — the chuck was on sale so all told for 2lbs of meat and everything else it came out to $2.50 a serving!
This was fast and easy. We used elbow macaroni with carrots and corn. My 16 year old granddaughter made this and it was very delicious! Thanks for the recipe!
I loved the creamy texture of the recipe. The caraway was a different flavor that reminded me too much of rye bread. probably won’t add it in the future or will much less, anyway. How much is a serving? A cup, two cups? Without that information, all the nutritional details aren’t helpful. Thanks much.
With the potatoes and carrots, a serving is about 2 cups. For more accurate nutrition information we recommend using a nutrition calculator like MyFitnessPal. Hope that helps!
Used a cup of Hungarian paprika and more pepper and beef broth…basically doubled everything because I had a 3 lb beef chuck. Can’t wait. Used ditch oven on stove first ,now in oven at 275 for 4 hours. Potatoes and carrots of course too
I bought some fresh ready-to-eat from our local Gelsons. Excellent. They use ground beef in place of steak. Reminded me of my post-college decade in central Europe. Thank you.
Love your recipes!! I made this once and it was delicious! I’m wondering, would it be ok to use ground beef? I have some i need to use up. Thank you!
I haven’t tried it but I think it’d be delicious!
I tried this recipe after having Goulash at a local German restaurant. Theirs was fantastic and I hoped to come close. This recipe knocked it out of the park!! It turned out even better than that of the restaurant! I did leave out the caraway seeds since I didn’t have any on hand and I’m not a fan.
My wife raved bout this! Good hearty broth, tender beef, outstanding!
Ez egy bizonyára nagyon ízletes étel, de ennek semmi köze a magyar gulyáshoz!!! A gulyás eredetileg egy híg leves, amelyben marhahús, hagyma, sárgarépa, fehérrépa, zeller és krumpli van, illetve 1 darab paradicsom és 1 darab magyar sárgapaprika. Fűszerek: só, bors,kömény, babérlevél, fokhagyma, petrezselyem, zellerlevél. Ez nem pörkölt!!! Az egy teljesen más étel! Én magyar vagyok, úgyhogy tudom.
So glad you enjoyed it, Gyulai! Thank you for sharing that information about Hungarian Goulash. We appreciate it!
my own thoughts as well…… :)
Love goulash and love this recipe. I do notice though mine ends up being a bit more soupy then I’d like. Any thoughts on ways to thicken it up some?
Hi John, to make a little thicker, you could increase the flour slightly. Or if it isn’t thick enough towards the end of cooking you could add a flour and water mixture then to thicken it.
Ad a good dollop of soured cream and some chopped fresh coriander along with a couple of quartered boiled eggs as an accompaniment
I would cook the beef a little longer – then add veggies.
I’m excited to try this!! I’ve never made goulash before. Can it simmer longer than a couple of hours without drying out? I’m wondering if I could make it in the morning and simmer it all day like a traditional stew. Also, I’ve never cooked with caraway seeds – do you crush them first or add them whole? Thank you! :)
Hi Bri, I have never tried simmering this recipe all day so I would love to hear how it turns out for you. I would maybe add a little extra liquid to ensure it doesn’t dry out. We add the caraway seeds as is in step 1. Hope that helps :)
I’m originally from Germany where the goulash is similar to the Hungarian one, I simmered it for 5 hours to get the meat TENDER!!! I added a cup of broth every hour especially when it started thickening up. AMAZING! Gonna be a household recipe here in this house!
First time ever making goulash and this was a good recipe to start with, definitely a go to. I followed the recipe as written. Per the butcher’s recommendation we used top sirloin which was a great choice – not too fatty, perfectly tender at the end of cooking. My observation – 3# is a lot of meat, so we used a 9 qt Dutch oven, could have used a bit larger but it worked. Used regular hungarian paprika, at the end we spiced it up with a little extra pepper, salt and some spicy paprika. I think next time will sub 1/4 of the paprika with spicy and up the salt and pepper a bit – personal choice. The sauce thickened perfectly. I am now confident I can cook goulash well enough to serve to guests!
Wow, this was tasty! My five year old inhaled it – he’s a meat lover. And we used organic beef shanks instead of veal, but the result was the same: a taste sensation.
Our friend used garlic too and onion for the goulash and lots of Paprika. plus lots of fresh cracked pepper and fresh carrots too. also and Dad would talk him in using filet for the meat that was aged 60 days . Man what a dish that was .
Yum, that sounds delicious Thomas!
Do you cook it first, then freeze if making for later?
Hi Susan, that is exactly how we prepare it. We cook it first then freeze it in individual portions to enjoy later.
I love this stew! I wonder if little shrimps would be good in it as well! ☺️
I’m sure that’d be tasty Heather!
Simple recipe to follow. I substituted passata for chopped tomatoes and turnip for potatoes – as I had just harvested my vegetables. the result was a lovely smooth sauce without the need to thicken – lovely.